A car dealer in Ayr still owes a customer hundreds of pounds after they sold his vehicle to another client.

After trouble with his previous vehicle Chris Thomson decided to lease a new car from Ayr Audi.

The deal was made in March 2020, but despite assurances that he would receive his new vehicle within four weeks, Chris found himself without his new car for more than a year.

He consistently pestered the team at the showroom for updates, but was again and again told his car was still not ready.

After a year of waiting, in March 2021 they told him that the terms of the contract were changing and that Audi UK said he’d have to part with £110 more per month.

Chris, a co-owner of a small printing business in East Kilbride, told the showroom that that was not acceptable, and was told the showroom would go back to Audi UK and negotiate.

In August 2021, wondering where on earth the car he had paid a deposit for was, he contacted Ayr Audi again, only to be told that they’d sold it to someone else.

Chris explained: “Quite indignantly he told me my car had been sold to someone else. He claimed I told him I did not want the car. That was never the case.

“The last conversation we had the car was in Germany, Audi UK wanted more money and he was going to negotiate with them to see if they would honour our contract. Something you really shouldn’t need to do.”

Fast forward six months and Chris is still waiting for his deposit to be returned.

On December 14, 2021 he emailed the showroom asking for his deposit to be refunded, but heard nothing back, so emailed again on the 17th.

He got a reply telling him the person dealing with it had been off on annual leave and he would be passing it to the accounts department.

Again, he heard nothing so emailed again on December 29 and was told it was taking longer because of Covid-related staff absences.

He said: “Having had my money since March 14, 2020, having requested my deposit back four times over a period of five weeks, I think I have shown patience beyond any reasonable expectation.”

A spokesperson for Lookers Audi in Ayr said: “This case is extremely unusual and the complexities behind some of the issues raised are still being urgently investigated.

“However, we do know from the timeline of events in Mr Thompson’s case that initial delays caused by the onset of Covid-19 restrictions combined with subsequent changes to finance arrangements made by a third party to this agreement may have compounded the issue.

“Notwithstanding, despite our best efforts and attempts to move to a more satisfactory arrangement during this time, we acknowledge that Mr Thompson’s experience is regrettable and arrangements have already been made to return the deposit made.”